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Carolina Basketball Just Lost a Living Legend

Jan

30

2018

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Long before the Dean Dome, our town was home  to great Carolina Basketball.  One of the greats was a young man from Rocky Mount, Taylor Theophilus Thorne.  Taylor Thorne passed away this past week at the age of 93.  He was born on February 26th, 1924, and was the son of the late Spencer T. Thorne and Anne Cox Thorne.  Taylor Thorne was not a tall fellow, nor was he huge in size, but he was fast, accurate, and driven.  He was also a North Carolina Veteran who made Orange County his home.

During World War II, he served in the 8th Air Force with a B-24 Bomber Group at Seething Air Force Base in England from November 1943 until June 1945.  The 8th Air Force was commanded by Major General Jimmy Doolittle.  Their mission was to bomb and bomb again the defenses of Germany.  This included “Big Week,” in February 1944 when the 8th Air Force joined the Royal Air Force to bomb Germany.  They put into the air over 1,000 B-17’s and B-24’s, plus more than 800 fighters to destroy 12 aircraft factories producing German fighter aircraft.  

A week later, the 8th Air Force made its first bombing run over Berlin on 6 March.  More than 700 bombers and 800 fighter aircraft attacked Berlin for the first time.  They returned two days later for a second attack that destroyed the VKF ball-bearing plant in Berlin, and, on the third day they returned for a third attack.  It was reported that nearly 5,000 tons of bombs were dropped during the Berlin offensive.  Taylor Thorne was there and he was undoubtedly serving with hundreds of other men from North Carolina.

Like all who served, they returned home to their families and started a family of their own.  Taylor returned to Rocky Mount and then enrolled at Carolina in Chapel Hill.  Like thousands of other men and women, he attended college using the GI Bill.

While in college, he played for the Carolina Tar Heels Basketball Team from 1946-48. The team went on to play in the 1946 NCAA Finals in New York under coach Bob Carnevale. Taylor was the recipient of the 1948 Foy Roberson Award (awarded in memory of Dr. Foy Roberson, MD, who was killed while piloting a military aircraft in 1941),  The Foy Roberson Award is presented to the most inspirational player that was voted upon by his teammates and coaches. In addition, he played college softball and was on the All State North Carolina 1949 Softball Team. After graduating from college, he was a controller for an Orange County dairy co-op. He worked until he was 85. 

Taylor Thorne seldom spoke of the war, his contributions, or his sacrifices.  He did not speak about the carnage of war, but when he was with his fellow American Legionnaire’s at the Chapel Hill Post 6 it was a different story and topic.  Taylor Thorne talked about his favorite subject–Tar Heel Basketball.  So, we share today a little bit about his service and a teaser footage from a movie on the Mighty Eighth Air Force.  War is terrifying and for those who served, it is full of memories.  We hope this clip helps you understand why is is so important to have a Veterans Memorial in Orange County.  We, no you, are honoring those who served.

Posted in Military Conflicts, World War II | Tags: American Legion Chapel Hill, Tar Heel Basket Ball Star, Taylor Thorne |

Brick Pavers Are Available

Nov

9

2017

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Some like to memorialize a family member, friend, or veterans group.  The The Orange County Memorial  walkways  provide this opportunity.  Engraved pavers are 4″ x 8″ and 8″ x 8″ in size and cost $100 and $200, respectively.

We have memorial brick program for the Orange County Veterans Memorial and it is available for mail order now.  We will expand our on-line options in time for Christmas orders.

Our immediate goal is to produce 2,300 individual pavers for the first phase of construction.  This is the flag plaza area.  You do not want to miss the opportunity to have your family or relative honored in the first 2,300-brick group.  Order your brick pavers now.  They are ready for ordering today.  Learn more

Visit the Memorial on Friday, November 10th, at 11 a.m. for our Veterans Day Ceremony.  And, while you are there, explore our first phase and view the architect’s sketches and samples at the entrance kiosk.  Learn more about this event.

Posted in Brick Pavers, Donations, Veterans Day | Tags: Memorial Brick Pavers, Orange County Veterans Memorial, Veterans Day 2017 |

Veterans Day at the Memorial Site

Oct

24

2017

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We do hope that you will join us to commemorate Veterans Day at the Orange County Veterans Memorial on Friday, November 10th.  Much has happened at the site since Memorial Day.  Walkways are appearing, there is a Visitors Kiosk, and the flag is proudly waving.  

Veterans Day is Nov 11th, and we are preparing for a ceremony at the site on Friday, Nov 10th at 11 a.m. Our speaker is Larry Hall, Secretary of State for Military & Veterans Affairs. Second Lieutenant Anna Page will serve as the Chaplain. We also look forward to the Civil Air Patrol assisting us. We will post an event program shortly.

Donations are picking up, but there is much yet to do.  We thank the Orange County Commissioners for their generous $15,000 matching fund.  That means that every private donor’s contribution will be matched dollar for dollar up to $15,000.  Why only private?  The memorial is a gift of the people and, although there are large donations, it is you who are the foundation to the memorial.  Your dollars are just as important and will comprise the bulk of the donations made.

Want to make a donation?  Just click here.

Posted in Design Progress, Donations, Veterans Day | Tags: Orange County Veterans Memorial, Veterans Day Chapel Hill |

Orange County Board of Commissioners are Matching Donors!

Aug

14

2017

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ORANGE COUNTY, NC (August 14, 2017) — The Orange County Board of Commissioners included $15,000 in its 2017-18 budget to serve as a challenge grant to help raise funds for the Orange County Veterans Memorial. The money will be used to provide a match for donations toward the construction of the memorial, which will be located at the Southern Human Services campus (2501 Homestead Road) in Chapel Hill.

“The matching fund is a great way to get the public involved,” said commissioner Mark Marcoplos, who pushed for the inclusion of the funds during budget deliberations. Commissioners Barry Jacobs and Renee Price each serve on the Veterans Memorial Committee. The fund was approved unanimously by the Board of Commissioners in June.

Individuals wishing to make a tax deductible contribution to the memorial would see their donation matched 100% by the fund established by the BOCC.

The Veterans Memorial will pay tribute to the thousands of men and women from Orange County who served or are serving in the U.S. armed forces. It will be funded by private donations with support and land donation from Orange County and additional support from the Town of Chapel Hill.

“We are so grateful to the Orange County Board of Commissioners for establishing this fund to encourage donations to the memorial,” said Bruce Runberg, U.S. Navy (Retired) and Vietnam Veteran who is Co-Chair of the Veterans Memorial Fundraising Committee. “Many veterans who served or are serving have called Orange County home.”

The memorial will include walking trails and exhibits honoring all branches of the military. Residents can donate online at www.orangecountyveteransmemorial.com or by sending a check made out to the Orange County Veterans Memorial to the address below.

Orange County Veterans Memorial
169 Boone Square Street, #223
Hillsborough, NC 27278

Naming opportunities are available for families who wish to honor loved ones. Visit www.orangecountyveteransmemorial.com for more information on giving levels.

Posted in Donations | Tags: Matching Funds, Memorial Gifts Chapel Hill, Orange County Veterans Memorial |

Groundbreaking Ceremony – Memorial Day

May

24

2017

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Lots of work has been done with the formalizing of the memorial design and it is now time to break ground! 

The fundraising campaign for the Orange County Veterans Memorial is underway and seeks to raise $75,000 by the end of May. The official groundbreaking ceremony for the planned memorial will be held at the Southern Human Services campus (2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill) at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day (Monday, May 29). The Veterans Memorial will pay tribute to the thousands of men and women from Orange County who served or are serving in the U.S. armed forces. It will be funded by private donations with support and land donation from Orange County and additional support from the Town of Chapel Hill. 
“This memorial is a gift from the residents and friends of Orange County to the many veterans who served or are serving and have called Orange County home,” said Bruce Runberg, U.S. Navy (Retired) and Vietnam Veteran who is Co-Chair of the Veterans Memorial Fundraising Committee. “It is to remember all the men and women who served in our armed forces.”
“We want to remember those who protected our nation by creating a memorial that will honor their service and sacrifice,” said Jim Merritt, former Chapel Hill Town Councilman and Vietnam Veteran who co-chairs the committee with Runberg. “It’s a way for our community to say we are proud of the service these veterans provided.”

The memorial will include walking trails and exhibits honoring all branches of the military. Residents can donate to the memorial through the Orange County Community Giving Fund (ocncgiving.org). Checks may be sent to the address below. Please be sure to indicate the gift is for the Veterans Memorial.
Orange County Community Giving Fund
Financial Services
PO Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278

Construction of the memorial, including the landscaping, will be fully paid for through donations.  You can make your donation by clicking on “Donations” in the taskbar above, or just CLICK HERE.

Posted in Donations, Memorial Day, Memorial Timeline | Tags: Orange County Veterans Memorial |

Veterans Day Breakfast and Veterans Memorial Site Dedication

Oct

27

2016

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Memorial Site miniVeterans Day 2016 starts at the Hillsborough Senior Center with a breakfast hosted by The Orange County Department on Aging.  Veterans are invited to a free breakfast hosted in their honor on Friday, Nov. 11, from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.  Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Danny W. Hassell, U.S. Army, will be the guest speaker. The breakfast will take place at the Passmore Center, which is located at 103 Meadowlands Drive in Hillsborough.

Amedisys Home Health and Hospice, Orange County Department on Aging, and Orange County Department of Social Services are co-sponsoring the breakfast to show appreciation for veterans’ contribution and service to the United States.

To reserve seating, please call 919.245.2015 on or before Wednesday, Nov. 9.

After the breakfast, guests are invited to the Orange County Veterans Memorial Site Dedication. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the memorial site that is adjacent to Southern Human Services campus located at 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.

Transportation to and from the Veterans Memorial site dedication ceremony from the Passmore Center will be provided for the first 50 individuals to make reservations. The bus will leave from the Passmore Center at 10:30 a.m. and return around 1 p.m.  Parking is available at the memorial site.

For more information and to reserve transportation, please call 919.245.2015

Posted in Memorial Timeline, Veterans Day | Tags: Orange County Veterans Memorial |

County Commissioners Receive Progress Report

Sep

18

2016

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We are pleased to announce that we are making good headway on the Memorial.   The designers have modified the design for the new site at the Orange County Human Services site on Homestead Rd (at the Old Homesite just west of the Orange County Southern Human Services Center). The County Commissioners are to receive the Veterans Memorial Committee Progress Report from us on Tuesday, 20 September, 2016. THAT’S THIS TUESDAY!

The plan is to be at the Old Homesite at 6 pm to show the concept to the Commissioners and other interested people and also have a temporary flag at the actual site of the flagpole.  All committee members and donors are invited to be there to participate and discuss the project.

After the 6 pm site walkabout, the County Commissioners will prepare for their 7 pm monthly meeting.  The meeting will begin in the Human Services Bldg.

Committee co-chair Jim Merritt will say a few words and introduce the designers who will present the concept plan for information to the Commissioners. With their approval, we can start the formal fund raising, which we are prepared to do.

We invite area veterans, veterans groups, and other interested parties to attend the Orange County Commissioner’s meeting to show your support for this very important community project.

Posted in Design Progress, Memorial Timeline | Tags: Orange County Veterans Memorial |

Memorial Fundraising

Jul

7

2016

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Our fundraising committee needs your help.

Our fundraising committee needs your help.

We are now at a point where we need to accelerate our fundraising.  We have a revised concept plan for the memorial that will be presented to the Orange County Commissioners in September.  Lots of work has been done and we are impressed with the vision presented.

What we need now is your help.  We have an immediate need to raise additional seed money for architectural planning.  How much?  $5,000 will help fund the design through this phase.  We’ll gladly accept a large donation for the full amount, but we know that we can also get there through small donations.

We have partnered with the Orange County Community Giving Fund to receive tax deductible donations from individuals, churches, clubs, businesses and corporations.

If you would like to help us fund the current design phase, visit our Donations  page and click on the green button.   It will take you to the fund’s donation portal.  You’ll go through a short registration process and then you can make a donation on line.

If you or your employer would like to help us, visit the donations page and look for information on corporate  donations.  Don’t forget corporate matching donations.  Ask your employer.

Remember, this memorial is a gift of the residents and friends of Orange County to the veterans who have served and have lived or live, work and play in Orange County.  You make it possible.

Posted in Design Progress, Donations, Memorial Timeline | Tags: Orange County Veterans, Orange County Veterans Memorial, Veterans in Chapel Hill |

Let’s Make the Orange County Veterans Memorial a Reality

Nov

30

2015

Lee Heavlin

Aerial view CH Memorial monuments2High on a hill above the Seymour Center is a beautiful park-like setting. It is known as “the Homestead Site.” This location was selected as the future site of the Orange County Veterans Memorial.

Orange County has proudly supplied our men and women to serve their nation during times of war or conflict. Our first call to arms was in the fall of 1775, when the Orange County Militia was established on September 9, 1775. Our fledgling militia faced its first battle at Moore’s Creek Bridge near Wilmington in February 1776.

Now, more than 240 years later, the residents and friends of Orange County will recognize and honor their service with the Orange County Veterans Memorial.

The memorial site is flat and is at the crest of a hill across from the Southern Orange County Human Services Center on Homestead Road, Chapel Hill. Walking paths now exist from the Seymour Center. It is also easily accessible by car or by using Chapel Hill Transit. There is ample parking and it is wheelchair accessible.

Veterans groups from throughout the county have joined with the Veterans Memorial Committee to sponsor and raise money for the memorial. Orange County has joined with them to provide the site and support. Now we need you and your support.

We all know the importance of recognition for service. Our seniors often reflect on the service that they have provided to our towns, villages, county and country. We have not, however, joined together to build a significant memorial to honor our county veterans.

“My vision is to have the residents of our county design, build and fund a Veterans Memorial that we would be proud to say, ‘We did this ourselves. From our dimes to dollars grew this memorial to our veterans,’ ” said Lee Heavlin, Veterans Committee member and career navy man.

How can you help? You can donate today to the Veterans Memorial Fund. The memorial committee needs funds to continue design work and to prepare for the memorial. Ground breaking may be as soon as Veterans Day 2016, but donations and major pledges are needed now to make that possible.

Donating is as easy as visiting the memorial website and submitting your donation by credit card. All donations are accepted for the memorial by the Orange County Community Giving Fund and are tax deductible. Visit http://orangecountyveteransmemorial.com/donations to make a donation and to learn more.

You can also help by sharing the project with friends, civic groups and clubs, churches and schools as a community service fundraising project. Create the excitement that will make funding the project easier. The Veterans Committee can provide members to speak at your group. For assistance, contact Lee Heavlin, committee member and Fundraising Chair, at 919-260-6571.

Expected cost is about $500,000 for the memorial and memorial perpetual fund. Visit the memorial website for project history and more details.

To donate, visit the Orange County Community Giving Fund site, register and then select Veterans Memorial.  Yes, the Community Giving Fund is a 501(3)(c) organization.

 

Posted in Donations | Tags: Contributing to Veterans Memorial, Donations, Orange County Veterans Memorial, Veterans, Veterans Memorial Chapel Hill |

We Heard You

May

8

2015

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Our local veterans’ memorial project slowed down late last year as we reevaluated our memorial’s location.  The placement of the memorial at the Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery made sense in the beginning.  However, the cemetery is reaching capacity and development around the site is changing.

Our memorial has always been a memorial for all veterans.  That is why we chose the name Veterans Memorial at Chapel Hill.

This year brought us a new opportunity.  Veterans around Chapel Hill have asked the same question we did.  They wanted to know why there was no veterans  memorial for Orange County veterans.  Our memorial could have served that purpose, but the location was wrong.

We looked at options in and around Chapel Hill that would honor Chapel Hill and Orange County and we found it on land in Chapel Hill that is owned by Orange County.  The land is already established and serves the citizens of Southern Orange County well.  In fact, it is about to get a facelift, as the county realigns roads and prepares to expand existing infrastructure and water runoff zones.

We are excited and think you will be, too.  Our existing design fits well at the alternate site and can be adjusted to reflect the ideas of Orange County veterans, students, and families.

Watch the news for more information as we get closer to Memorial Day.  We’ll share with you our vision for the memorial and offer you an opportunity to help make it a reality.  Donations are accepted and you can start now!

donate-veterans

 

Posted in Donations, School participation | Tags: Contributing to Veterans Memorial, Donations, Orange County Veterans Memorial, Veterans, Veterans Memorial Chapel Hill |
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